5th Annual Yuma ABRC Forum: Collaborative Partnerships, Translating Research to Practice

Thursday, May 25, 2023

7:30am-3:30pm

Pivot Point Conference Center – Yuma, AZ

Recording:

Agenda:

7:30 am – 8:30 am – Registration and Breakfast

• MC: Mr. Alex Bejarano – Public Relations and Marketing Director – RCBH

8:30 am – 8:40 am –  Welcome

• Amanda Aguirre – President and CEO, Former AZ State Senator – RCBH
• Michael J. Sabath, PhD – Associate Vice President and CEO – NAU Yuma Campus

8:40 am – 9:25 am – Successes at NAU: Research Into Action and Measurable Outcomes

• Robert Trotter II, PhD – Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Anthropology – NAU CHER
• John Garcia, MBA, CPM – Program Director – ABRC

9:25 am – 10:00 am – Educational Partnerships with Mexican Universities: How Do They Benefit Individuals, Institutions, and
the Region?

• Yimin Wang, PhD – Vice Provost for Global Affairs – NAU

10:00 am – 10:25 am – Keynote Speaker

• Jose Luis Cruz Rivera, PhD – President – NAU

10:25 am – 11:00 am – ADHS Health Equity Report State Health Improvement Plan

• Michelle Kreutzber-Martinez – Border Health Liaison – ADHS

11:00 am – 11:10 am – Break

11:10 am – 12:30 pm – Breakout Sessions – Community Discussion Action Plan

• How is the economy impacting key sectors of our community?
• Healthcare, Education, Workforce (Growing our Own), Social Service Delivery

1. Research Agenda Group & Community Outreach Group – Facilitators: Robert Trotter II & Amanda Aguirre
2. Binational Work Group – Facilitators: Joena Ezroj, MEd – WAHEC Director & Kevin Driesen, PhD, MPH – RCBH
3. Workforce Group – Facilitators: Michael Sabath & Linda Elliot-Nelson – Strategic Partnerships/Vinculation

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm – General Session & Lunch

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Panel – Community Outreach: CHOWs/Promotores de Salud Models

• Gustavo Alvarez, MPH – Director of Public Health & Patient Engagement – RCBH & San Luis Walk-In Clinic, Inc.
• Emma Torres – Executive Director – Campesinos Sin Fronteras
• Laura Aviles – Program Coordinator – Yuma County Public Health Services District

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm – Working Groups Reports & Community Outreach Group

1. Research Agenda Group & Community Outreach Group – Facilitators: Robert Trotter II & Amanda Aguirre
2. Binational Work Group – Facilitators: Joena Ezroj, MEd – WAHEC Director & Kevin Driesen, PhD, MPH – RCBH
3. Workforce Group – Facilitators: Michael Sabath & Linda Elliot-Nelson – Strategic Partnerships/Vinculation

3:30 pm – Adjourn

Planning Committee:

• Amanda Aguirre, President & CEO, Regional Center for Border Health, Inc., amanda@rcfbh.org
• Alex Bejarano, Public Relations and Marketing Director, Regional Center for Border Health, Inc., abejarano@rcfbh.org
• Lorena Delgadillo, M.Ed., Campus Administrator, College of Health Careers, ldelgadillo@rcbh.edu
• Kevin Driesen, PhD, MPH, Regional Center for Border Health, Inc., kdriesen@rcfbh.org
• Linda Elliot-Nelson, Strategic Partnerships/Vinculacion, linda.elliottnelson@gmail.com
• Joena Ezroj, M.Ed., WAHEC Director, Regional Center for Border Health, Inc., jezroj@rcbh.edu
• Nicolas Beckett, MA, Senior Events Coordinator, Center for Health Equity Research, NAU, Nicolas.beckett@nau.edu
• Marcelle Lavieve Coder, Assistant Director, Center for Health Equity Research, Marcelle.coder@nau.edu
• Trudie F. Milner, PhD, Chief Operating Officer, Yuma Regional Medical Center, tmilner@yumaregional.org
• Rudy J. Ortiz, M.A., CPM, Yuma Regional Director, First Things First, rjortiz@firstthingsfirst.org
• Steve Palmer, PhD, Professor, Department of Health Sciences, NAU, steve.palmer@nau.edu
• Michael Sabath, PhD, Associate Vice President/CEO, NAU Yuma Campus, michael.sabath@nau.edu
• Robert T. Trotter II PhD, Regents’ Professor, Department of Anthropology, NAU, robert.trotter@nau.edu

Speakers:

Amanda Aguirre – President & CEO, Former AZ State Senator – Regional Center for Border Health, Inc.

Former Arizona State Senator, she presently serves in the capacity of President & CEO of the Regional Center for Border Health, Inc. since 1991 and its subsidiary San Luis Walk-In Clinic, Inc., a primary care rural health medical center. Ms. Aguirre has been involved for more than 35 years in health care and business administration. She possesses a life-long commitment to education and in 2007 she established a licensed post–secondary vocational training center in the area of allied health training, which has generated job opportunities for over 3,000 individuals. Ms. Aguirre has built these corporations that have become multi-million dollar corporations providing employment for 470 employees in a slow recovering economy. Ms. Aguirre also worked for Arizona Western College from 1995-1999 as the South Yuma County Campus Director.

Ms. Aguirre has lived in Yuma, Arizona for the last 30 years. Her commitment to education is lifelong since she was raised by parents who both were elementary school teachers. Her Democratic values come from her parent who taught her to work hard and to serve her community before everything else. Ms. Aguirre holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from the University of Sonora in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. In 1981 received her Master Degree from the California State University in Los Angeles, California with emphasis in Nutrition and Dietetics. In April 2013, Ms. Aguirre completed a Certificate Program in Executive Leadership for Healthcare Professionals at Cornell University (online). In July 2005 Ms. Aguirre completed a Training Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. In January 2018, Ms. Aguirre was invited to join the Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) Advisory Committee by the University of Arizona, also in December 2017 became member of the NAU Advisory Committee for the Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative (SHERC).

Michael Sabath, PhD – Associate Vice President and CEO NAU-Yuma Campus – NAU

Michael J. Sabath is an Associate Vice President for Northern Arizona University and Campus Executive Officer for NAU’s Yuma Branch Campus. He earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business at the University of California-Berkeley, an MPA from California State University, and a PhD from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. Sabath was with San Diego State University for 23 years serving as a professor, division chair, and Associate Dean. Prior to this, he taught in the School of Business and Public Administration at the University of Missouri-Columbia and at Indiana University-Bloomington. His research has focused on public policy and management issues related to the justice system and transnational cooperation.

Robert T. Trotter II, PhD – Regents’ Professor of Anthroplogy – NAU Center for Health Equity Research & Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative

Dr. Robert T. Trotter is an Arizona Regents’ Professor in the department of Anthropology, and a senior scientist in the NAU Center for Health Equity Research (CHER). His research interests include crosscultural health care issues, organizational models for change, social network impacts on health and social structures, innovation, exploring advanced ethnographic methods, and translational science. He has conducted research for the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Surgeon General’s Office of HIV/AIDs Policy. His work in medical anthropology addresses cross-cultural issues in health care delivery and prevention, focused on cancer, cardiac care, HIV prevention and intervention, disabilities, and addiction studies. He also designs and conducts evaluation programs for complex partnerships (industry-university, government-university-community, community-scientist), creating cultural models of collaborative systems, ethnographic explorations of institutional dynamics, and organizational network analysis. His publications include books and articles on Mexican American traditional healing, cross-cultural alcohol and drug studies, migrant farm worker health and education, HIV/AIDS, alcohol and drug prevention studies, partnership design, diagnosis and intervention, and anthropological ethics.

John S. Garcia, MBA, CPM – Program Director – Arizona Biomedical Research Centre, Arizona Department of Health Services

John Garcia currently serves as the Program Director of the Arizona Biomedical Research Centre (ABRC). He earned a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Information Technology Administration from Ashford University, now University of Arizona Global Campus. Mr. Garcia also completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Management with the University of Phoenix, including foundational coursework from the University of Arizona. He also received certification as a Public Manager through Arizona State University.

John joined the Arizona Department of Health Services about two years ago. His career in government spans over 40 years. He has served in mostly criminal justice roles including: policy analyst, research and budget manager, financial controller, and IT business analyst, project manager, emergency Medical Technician, and public safety dispatcher. John is a native Arizonan from Tucson. In his capacity of ABRC Program Director, Mr. Garcia oversees the distribution of grant funds to biomedical researchers and to Arizona universities to educate their faculty, staff, students, and the public. He also manages the Arizona Public Cord Blood Program.

Yimin Wang, PhD – Vice Provost for Global Affairs – NAU

Dr. Yimin Wang currently serves as Vice Provost for Global Affairs at Northern Arizona University (NAU). In this role, Dr. Wang provides leadership for university-wide international education and global engagement strategies. Dr. Wang oversees the Center for International Education which manages Education Abroad and Interdisciplinary Global Programs, recruits and supports international students and scholars, as well as facilitating international partnerships. In collaboration with all NAU colleges and departments, Dr. Wang works to infuse global and intercultural perspectives in curricular and co-curricular initiatives, as well as expanding equitable global learning opportunities for all students.

Prior to joining NAU, Dr. Wang served in leadership roles in international education in Weber State University, Illinois State University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and the National Institute of Education in Singapore. Dr. Wang holds a Ph.D. in International and Comparative Education from Indiana University Bloomington. Her research interests include high impact educational experiences, intercultural competency development, global learning, and international higher education.

Jose Luis Cruz Rivera, PhD – President – NAU

José Luis Cruz Rivera began his tenure as the 17th President of Northern Arizona University (NAU) on June 14, 2021. Prior to joining NAU, Dr. Cruz Rivera served as President of Lehman College of The City University of New York and as Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost of the 25-campus system. During his tenure at CUNY, Lehman enhanced its national reputation as an engine of social mobility and the Central Office of Academic Affairs registered important accomplishments on behalf of the University’s more than 20,000 faculty members, 26,000 professional staff and 500,000 students and learners. A leading national advocate for policies to expand opportunities and improve educational outcomes for all students—especially those who have historically been underserved—Cruz Rivera is a frequent keynote speaker and writer on higher education issues. He has testified several times before the U.S. Congress, and his work has been covered by many media outlets, including The Chronicle of Higher Education, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Univision.

Previously, Cruz Rivera served as provost of California State University, Fullerton. He is a former vice president of Higher Education Policy and Practice at The Education Trust in Washington, D.C. and a former Chief Student Affairs Officer for the University of Puerto Rico system. He began his career as a faculty member in engineering at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, rising through the ranks and serving as chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and dean of Academic Affairs.

Cruz Rivera chairs the board of directors of The Education Trust and serves on the board of the Data Quality Campaign. He is also a member of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) advisory board, the Anchor Institutions Task Force, and the steering committee of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. In the past, he has served on the board of directors of the New York Botanical Garden, the Institute for Higher Education Policy, the Regional Plan Association, and the Association of Chief Academic Officers. He has also served as a member of the Community Advisory Group of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the advisory board of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Committee on Academic Innovation and Transformation, and as a commissioner on the Postsecondary Value Commission.

Cruz Rivera is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a patented inventor, and a National Science Foundation Career Award recipient. His work as a faculty member on optical interconnections for massively parallel processing systems was published in scientific journals and presented at international conferences. He earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering (magna cum laude) from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez and his master’s and doctorate degrees from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is an alumnus of the Harvard Institute of Educational Management.

Michelle Kreutzber-Martinez – Border Health Liaison – Arizona Department of Health Services

Michelle is the Border Health Liaison for the Arizona Department of Health Services. This position is held within the Office of Health Equity. She is responsible for forming partnerships and communicating with health officials from Sonora, Mexico as well as other border region stakeholders regarding public health events or threats of mutual interest. She also serves as a delegate in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission and the Arizona-Mexico Commission. She has been with the Arizona Department of Health Services for almost six years as an epidemiologist and prior to that worked in mosquito abatement and surveillance for the Zika virus. She received her Master in Public Health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in 2016.

Joena Ezroj, MEd – Director – Western Arizona Health Education Center for Regional Center for Border Health, Inc.

Joena Ezroj, M.Ed., is currently the director of the Western Arizona Health Education Center for Regional Center for Border Health, where she oversees educational programming and the recruitment and retention of health care professionals in Yuma, La Paz and Mohave counties. Her work experience includes Coordinator and Assistant Clinical Professor for Arizona State University, Instructional Coach for Gadsden Elementary School District, and teacher for Yuma Elementary School District. She is the 2012 Teacher of the Year for Yuma County. Joena is highly active in the regional area and is the co-chair of the City of Somerton Parks and Recreation Committee, member of the Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board Cocopah Tribe Regional Partnership Council, and she is also a member of the Somerton Rotary. Joena holds a bachelors and Masters degree in Education from Northern Arizona University and a Master of Educational Leadership and Administration from Grand Canyon University. Joena believes that success is achieved for communities through servant leadership and building partnerships.

Kevin Driesen, PhD, MPH – Regional Center for Border Health, Inc.

Kevin Driesen, PhD, MPH received a Doctorate from the University of Arizona’s Department of Psychology with a specialty in epidemiology, and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of California at Berkeley with a specialty in Health Education. Previous employment includes: Assistant Professor, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health (University of Arizona); Regional Administrator, Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS); Research Scientist, University of Arizona’s Rural Health Office; and founding Director, Border Health Foundation. Dr. Driesen is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Colombia, 1978-81); past President of Partners of the Americas, Arizona-Oaxaca, and past-President of the Arizona Rural Health Association.

Linda Elliott-Nelson, PhD, MBA – Strategic Partnerships/Vinculacion – Arizona Western College

Dr. Linda Elliott-Nelson serves in Strategic Partnerships/Vinculación at Arizona Western College where she has worked since 1994. She previously served as the Vice President for Learning Services, the Dean of Instruction, Division Chair of Modern Languages and Professor of Spanish at Arizona Western College. Her prior work experience also involved several years in the international business sector.

Dr. Elliott-Nelson earned a Ph.D. in Education from Walden University, an M.B.A. and an M.A. in Spanish from Arizona State University, and a B.A. degree from Northern Arizona University. Her activities have included co-founding the Yuma Youth Town Hall; founding and coordinating the Gifted Summer Academy for 4th – 8th graders; co-coordinating the Binational Conference on Education with Baja California, Mexico; serving on the national Modern Language Association Committee on 2-year Colleges; and evaluating employee Spanish language proficiency for the City of Yuma. She received the Arizona Woman of the Year 2021 from Arizona Women in Higher Education, the Athena Leadership Award in 2019, the Outstanding University/College Educator Award from the Arizona Language Association in 2000 and the Teacher of the Year from Arizona Western College in 1999.

Elliott-Nelson presents internationally on community outreach and engagement, regional collaboration, partnerships, accelerative learning techniques, and community college trends. She served as the Chairman of the Board of Arizona Town Hall during 2015-2017, Chair of Arizona Women in Higher Education during 2019-2020, Co-chair of the AZTransfer Steering Committee and Chair of the Arizona Community College Chief Academic Officers, and currently serves on the boards of the Yuma Orchestra Association, Arizona Town Hall, Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, the Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board, Yuma Regional Council; as well as steering committees for Southwest Arizona Town Hall and the Yuma Education Advocacy Council. In 2021, Governor Ducey appointed her to the Arizona Historical Society Board. Her current activities focus on community engagement, education, and development in the Arizona/California/Sonora/Baja California mega-region.

Gustavo Alvarez, MPH – Director of Public Health & Patient Engagement – Regional Center for Border Health, Inc. & San Luis Walk-In Clinic, Inc.

Passionate public health professional with a strong background in health care administration, health and wellness education nutrition program development, and community health. Compassion, knowledge, accountability, quality patient and community’s well-being are Gustavo’s top priorities as a Public Health Care Administrator. As a Director of Public Health and Patient Engagement for Regional Center for Border Health, Inc., Gustavo successfully oversees the Chronic Care Management team, which consists of 11 Community Health Workers, and the Health and Wellness Department, which consists of 2 Nutritionists. Gustavo has received a Master of Public Health, with emphasis in Epidemiology and Health Care Administration, and is currently working on a second Master’s degree in Public Administration from Grand Canyon University. Gustavo’s purpose in life is to be a servant to our communities and the amazing people that he serves and build partnerships with stakeholders It is all about serving the Public Good.

Emma Torres – Executive Director – Campesinos Sin Fronteras

Emma Torres is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Campesinos Sin Fronteras, a community-based grassroots organization serving farmworkers and their families in the border communities of Yuma County, Arizona, since 1999. Emma Torres holds a master’s degree in Social Work and a UCLA Johnson and Johnson Health Executive Certificate.

Ms. Torres, a former farmworker, has dedicated her life to advocating for health equity for the farm working community to reduce the economic, educational, and linguistic barriers they face in their everyday lives. Her leadership guides Campesinos Sin Fronteras to provide and facilitate agricultural families with the means to overcome barriers to becoming self-sufficient. Ms. Torres began her work as a pioneer of the community health worker/Promotora model in 1984 with the Comienzo Sano/Health Start Perinatal Program in Yuma County. Since then, She has been a strong proponent of the model as one of the most effective strategies for reaching and serving low-income Hispanic Latinos and migrant farmworker families. Ms. Torres has trained hundreds of Promotoras in her 38 years of community and public health service.

Ms. Torres has received numerous accolades throughout her many years of service to the community. In 2007, she received the OHTLI Award from the Institute of Mexicans Abroad and was recognized as one of the 10 Most Influential Hispanics in Yuma County. In 2003, Ms. Torres received a presidential appointment to serve as a member of the US/Mexico Border Health Commission, representing Arizona, where she still serves. She was recently recognized as one of Arizona’s 48 Most Influential Women. Ms. Torres has been married to Rogelio Torres for 38 years and has three children and three grandchildren.

Laura Aviles – Program Coordinator – Yuma County Public Health Services District

Laura Aviles is a Program Coordinator for Yuma County Public Health Services District working in
Public Health for the past 19 years focusing on chronic disease prevention efforts and supervising
CHW initiatives. She co-leads the Yuma CHW Coalition assisting with coalition formation and
development efforts.

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